Pipe rotating apparatus



- Feb. 16, 1943.

p. B. GRABLE PIPE ROTATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 16, 1943; D. B. GRABLE PIPE ROTATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1940 Feb. 16, 1943. D. B. GRABLE 2,311,225

PIPE ROTATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet s 7 Ai V IIIIIII/II),

mm mmx 3 Q; 5 Ai 4044,?

rmma m. :16, 1943 UNITED sTA'rEsrKrENT OFFICE rm: mama arraaarus Donovan B. Grable. Long Beach, Calif. Application January 8, 1940, Serial a. 812,946

(01. u-sv) 14' (Jaime.

This invention has to do generally with pipe rotating apparatus. particularly for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting sections of well pipe, tubing or rods, and has for its general purpose to provide improvements in such apparatus that will enable the work to be accomplished more simply and expeditiously than with the types of equipment heretofore available, and with much less hazard to the operators handling the apparatus. v v

The conventional and long used practices in' making up or disconnecting well pipe strings, typically strings of tubing, have required the use of rope lines or cables both in direct application to the pipe in the course of making or breaking the pipe joints, and in the operation of pipe tongs for initially breaking or finally making up the joints. These conventional practices are well known and need not be described in detail, other than to refer to the recognized fact that they are extremel hazardous to. the operators because of the danger of broken and whipping lines, and entanglement in the lines that may lead to an operator being carried into machinery on the floor or up into the derrick. In part at least, these hazards have existed by reason of the nature and limitations of the pipe rotating methods and equipment employed, and the necessity for using not only the pipe tongs themselves, but various ropes and lines to supplement the uses of the tongs.

Generally speaking the invention obviates these diillculties and hazards by incorporating in unitized apparatus that may have self-contained power, all the instrumentalities required for rotating the pipe in all stages of making up or breaking the joints, without the necessity for the usual rope lines subject to breaking and entanglement. In addition, the invention permits the application of rotative power'to the pipe section or stand being connected to or disconnected from the string, by methods such as not to require rotation of the pipe string proper, or cause disturbances in the well that result from rotation of the pipe string.

In accordance with the invention I have provided an improved power tongs characterized in that it possesses a self-contained power unit to insure forceful engagement of the gripping elements with the pipe to accomplish rotation of the pipe by bodily turning of the tongs, and characterized further by powered pipe rotating means adapted to the pipe section being connected or disconnected before the joint reaches a condition of tight take-up, or after initial break- 1118, all without necessity for bodily rotation of the tongs. The present tongs may be described generally as comprising a movable pipe gripping element, a rotatably driven member adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, and a power source carried by the tongs body and operatively associated with the pipe grippin element and pipe rotating member so as to bring them into engagement with the pipe under control of the operator. As will hereinafter appear, the operative connection between the power source and the gripping element and pipe rotating member is such that the two may be sequentially applied to the pipe. For example in a makeup tongs, its operation is controlled to first bring the rotating member into engagement with the pipe, but with the gripping element disengaged therefrom. to screw the joint to a degree of tightness at which the full power of the tongs may be required to finally tighten and make-up the Joint. Then the movable g ipping element is forced into tight engagement with the pipe and the tongs bodily rotated to complete the joint. In the breaking tongs, a reverse operation occurs in that the gripping element first is applied to the pipe and the tongs bodily turned to initially break the joint, after which the gripping element is released and the rotating member brought into operation to rotate the pipe out of the joint.

The invention contemplates a further improved feature in the provision of simplified and positively acting. apparatus for bodily swinging the tongs. Briefly, this apparatus comprises in its preferred form an air or steam cylinder and piston assembly mounted for horizontal and ver- 'tongs body or handle so as to exert a swinging pull on the tongs in making up or breaking the pipe joint, as the case may be. Suitable provision such as an indicator of the air or steam pressure in the cylinder and a relief valve imposing a predetermined maximum limit on the pressure, may be provided to enable the operator to know at all times the magnitude of pull being exerted on the tongs, and to insure that a predetermined maximum pull will not be exceeded, all with the object ofavoiding excessive forces applied to the tongs that might otherwise injure the pipe or break parts of the pipe rotating equipment itself.

The invention contemplates numerous additional features and objects, but all of these as well as the feature referred to in the foregoing may be recognized and understood to better advantage without necessity for further prelimi- Fig. 3 is a view partly in horiaontal section,-

illustrating the working parts ofthe tonssa. Fig.4isinpartavertical sectiontakenon line 4-4 of P18. 3; 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on line l-S of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4: g 7 fragmentary vertical section showcertain of the tongs parts in the aspects but in changed positions; is an enlarged sectional view of the linder taken on line H of Fig. 1: and

Fig. is a plan view of the reach cylinder mounting.

Referring first to Figs. 8 and 4', the tongs, generally indicated at ll,'comprise an elongated body ii having a curved end portion l2 comsaining a recess or opening it within which the rod or pipe It is received. Typically, the recessed portion ll of the tongs may contain two sets of pipe gripping elementsgenerally indicated at I! and I6, capable of relative radial movement to engagev and disengage the pipe. Although capable of adjustment and perhaps movement within the body except when engaged by the. pipe, the pipe engaging elements I! may be regarded as a relatively stationary set, and the elements it as the movable set adapted to be operated in applying them to the pipe, by

the body contained mechanism generally indl cated at ll, all as will hereinafter appear.

The pipe grippin elements I! may be of any suitable type and form, and are shown typically as comprising links II, it and pivotally connected by pins 2|, the innermost link It having a lug Ila projecting within a body recess 22. Lug its is connected to the body for pivotal and bodily movement relative thereto by a pin 23 terminating within slots or recesses 24 in cover plates 25 and 28 applied to the top and bottom surfaces of the body, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The pipe gripping surface of each of the links l8, l9 and 20, is formed by an integral or inserted die "Shaving vertically extending pipe engaging'teeth l2la. The assembly of links may be radially adjusted within the tongs body, or the relative positions of the individual links adjusted, by radially positioned back-up screws I26 having ball and socket connections at i261; with the links in space 21, the screws being individually adjustable to give any desired variation in the link positions.

The movable assembly It of pipe gripping elements similarly may comprise a plurality of links 29, ill and ii, pivotally interconnected by pins 32, with the inner link 2! having a lug 29a received within the body recess a and connected to the body plates 25 and 26 by vpin 34 terminating within slots 35 in the plates. The outer end of the link assembly I is given vertical supportby the body and also capacity for swinging movement in engaging and disengaging the pipe, by providing link 3| with an extension or lug it received and slidable within a slot 31 in the body, see particularly Fig. 5. The links a fragmentary enlargedsection on n 2|, 3| and 3| are shown also to carry toothed pipe engaging dies as.

At its outer end and beneath the link assembly II, the tongsbody carries a radially movable stop member 38, which preferably is of curved form, and is suitably supported for bodily movement by pins ll extending from the member through bearings 4i and carrying heads or nuts 42 at their outer ends. Member II is yieldably thrust inward to'pipe position, which is inwardly beyond the teeth l2la of dies I28, by coil springs 43 placed about pins J0 and confined between the member 32 and the bearings 4!. As shown in Fig. 6, the inner surface 44 of member 30 has a curvature less than that of the outer surface of pipe it, or of other pipes having different but about the same I diameter, so as to insure at least two point contact between the stop member and the pipe being engaged by the tongs. In this manner, member It serves in addition to its later described functions, to properly position the link assembly II for engagement with the pipe. 2 Y A movable carriage assembly, generally indicated at ll and contained within a body recess 46' intersecting the pipe receiving opening It, operates to apply sequentially to the pipe a m tatably driven pipe rotating member 51 and the movable gripp element assembly It. The carriage 45 comprises two relatively movable sections 41 and I, the latter having a curved surface 49 adapted to engage the outersurfaces of links 29, 3t and II in pressing the gripping dies against the pipe. The carriage sections 41 and 48 are slidable longitudinally within body recess 48 and are vertically confined between the cover plates 25 and 26, all as illustrated in Fig. 4. Section 48 has an integral lug 5| received within a recess II in section 41, and also a shaft 52 extending through a bore 53 in section 41. Provision is made for clearances at 54 and" between the opposed faces of the sections to permit their relative movement from positions of engagement to disengagement, with in the limits required for sequential application of the pipe rotating member 41 and the gripping elements it to the pipei 1 Member 51 is shown to be rotatably driven by a power unit 58 suitably attached to the bottom portion of the carriage section 41 extending downwardly through slot 59 in the lower cover plate 20. The power unit 58 may be of any suitable t pe such as a fluid driven turbine or an electric motor, and is shown illustratively as a turbine to which compressed air or steam is supplied through line 6|. A worm 62 on the motor shaft it drives a gear 64 contained within housing I! attached at 66 to the turbine housing. Gear 84 is keyed to a shaft 61 journaled at 68 and 69 within carriage section 4'! and carrying at its upper end the pipe rotating member 51. Shaft 61 extends up- 1 'wardly through a slot Ill in carriage section II to permit the required relative longitudinal movement between the sections, as referred to above. The upper portion of the shaft extends through a longitudinal slot 'H in the top cover plate 25.

In the broad aspects of the invention, member 51 may consist of any suitable rotatable element capable of engaging and rotating an upper'stand of pipe after the Joint is initially broken or loosened (in a breaking tongs), or of rotating the upper pipe standinto flnal making engagement with the threads of the lower stand (in a makeup tongs) As illustratfve,'member 51 may comasinaac prise a disk or cylinder of suilicient axial surface length to give the necessary length of contact with the pipe for frictional purposes, and formed at its surface of a material having sufficient coeiiicient of friction against the pipe as to rotate substances. Where fabric orother yielding material is employed, the material may contain abradants such as finely divided metal, or wire,

to 'give increased friction between thedisk surface and the pipe.

The carriage assembly 85 comprising preferably a cylinder I2 attached at I8 and Il to the under surface ofthe body, compressed air or steam being selectively delivered to opposite ends of the cylinder from line Ila through pipes I5 and I5 under control of a fourway valve 'II. Compressed air will be referred .to typically as the piston operating fluid. Air exhausts from one end or the other end of the cylinder under control of the .valve 11, through outlet I8. Cylinder I2 contains a piston I8 having a rod 80 extending through the cylinder head stufling box 8| and attached at 82 to a lug 88 integral with and depending from a block 8l movablelongitudinally within a bore 85 in the g is actuated from a power source carried by the tongs body II and spring 8|, with the result that as block 8l moves toward the right, carriage section ll first is correspondingly moved to bring disk 51 into engagement with the pipe, and thereafter spring "is compressed tothe point at which the end of shaft 52 will be brought into engagement with the .end 88 of the block bore 8!. Continued movement to the right of block ll moves surface ll of the carriage section l8 against the links 28, 80 and 8| to press dies 88 against the pipe. Continued movement of block 8l displaces stop member 38 outward against the resistance of springs l8 to the point of bringing the pipe into engagement with dies I25. By having sumcient air pressure in cylinder 12, the dies in both sets I5 and 18 of the gripping elements may be brought into such tight engagement with the pipe stand Ila that upon counterclockwise rotation of the tongs, the Joint at 83 may be initially broken to the extent that the stand Ila maybe unscrewed with relatively less or little rotative force applied thereto..

Upon initially breaking the joint as described, the airpressure in cylinder I2 may be partially relieved (as may be observed by pressure gauge 8l) to the extent that member 89-under the intongs body. Lug 88 projects downwardly through projecting within the slot 88 in the block, and also by virtue of clearance at "between the end of the shaft and the end of bore 81. Movement is imparted to carriage section H from block 8l in applying disk 51 to the pipe, through a coil spring 9| placed about shaft 52 and confined be tween the block and carriage section.

The tongs.may be supported for application to and removal from the pipe by any suitable means. Merely as illustrative, the tongs are shown to be suspended by cables Sla, see Fig. 2, attached to the body II at points that will cause the tongs to be supported properly in horizontal position.

In describing the operation of the tongs, it will be understood that the tongs will be applied to an upper pipe stand Ila to be disconnected from or connected to the pipe string Ilb being elevated from or lowered into the well, as the case may be, and that the string Ilb is vertically supported and held against rotation in the usual Also as will be understood, separate manner. tongs are employed in making up and breaking the pipe joints. Fig. 1 shows a make-up tong adapted to be rotated clockwise to screw together the joint sections, whereas Fig. 3 shows a breaking tong adapted to be oppositely rotated to unscrew the pipe joint. A description of the operation of the breaking tong of Fig. 3 will suffice for an understanding of the invention.

The tongs first are applied to the drill .pipe section Ila directly above the joint at 83, with the pipe in engagement with the stop member 88 and properly centered with respect to the dies 25. Valve 11 then is operated to admit compressed air to cylinder I2 through pipe 15 to adfluence of springs will disengage the pipe from dies I25, and spring 9| will expand sufficiently to release dies 28 from gripping engagement with the pipe. Suillclent air pressure will be main- Z tained however in cylinder I2 that the pressure communicated to carriage section H from block 8l through spring. 8i, will hold disk 51 in engagement with the pipe Ila. Turbine 58 having pre-. viously been started to constantly rotate disc 51 in a clockwise direction, the disc rotation is imparted to the pipe Ila to unscrew the joint 93. During the joint breaking operation, sufficient upward pull will be maintained on pipe stand Ila by the derrick hook in the usual manner, to relieve the weight of the pipe stand at the joint and eliminate any tendency .for binding in the to give proper support for the upper stand Ila.

joint threads. Stop member 38 may be provided with horizontally extending teeth 39a below the abutting ends of the pipe sections at the joint, so that the engagement of the teeth with the lower section Ilb of the pipe will prevent the tongs from following or raising with the stand Ila as it is being unscrewed. Above the joint, member 88 may have a smooth pipe engaging surface 39b The make-up tong has the same construction as that shown and described,-except that portion I2 of the body has reversed curvature with relation to thepipe in the operation of the make-up tong. The air pressure in'cylinder I2 at first is controlled so as to bring the rotating disk 51 into engagement with the pipe,'but with dies 38 disengaged therefrom and the pipe held by stop member 89 from engagement with dies I25. In the make-up tong, disk 51. is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to screw pipe stand Ila into.

the string Ilb to the point at which further power is required to fully and tightly make-up the joint. It may be mentioned that rotation 'of the disc has an added effect in causing the tongs to automatically swing to the extent required to cause the elements l5 to engage and grip the pipe. The air pressure in cylinder I2 then is increased to the point at which both sets of dies I25 and 88 .are brought into tight gripping engagement with, the pipe, and the tongs are then bodily rotated to finally complete the joint.

Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9 show my improved mechanism, herein termed the reach, for swin ing the tongs to rotate the pipe in making up the joints. In the drawings, a single reach is shown in solid lines in conjunction with the make-up tong. As will be understood, a duplicate reach mechanism may be provided for operation of the breaking tongs and'positioned at the opposite side of the derrick floor, as indicated by the dotted lines at 95. The reach mechanism generally indicated at 96, comprises a cylinder 91, see Fig. 8, containing apiston 98, the rod 99 of which extends through stufling box I to a connection I0| with a cable I02 which in turn is attached at I03 to the outer end of the tongs. The cylinder assembly is supported for horizontal and vertical swinging movements on a suitable support, such as pipe standard I04, by a suitable mounting I at the top of the standard. The mounting is shown typically to comprise a head I06 rotatable within pipe I04 and held against upward displacement by a bolt or rod I01. Lug I08 on the cylinder and casting I09 is pivotally connected by pin IIO with lugs III on the head I06, so that the cylinder is capable of vertical as well as horizontal swinging movement. Compressed air or steam from supply line H2 is selectively delivered under control of a four-way valve H3 to opposite ends of the cylinder 91 through pipes Ill and H5 having flexible sections H6 to accommodate vertical swinging of the cylinder. The cylinder exhaust occurs through the valve I I3 to line I I1.

Fig. 1 shows the reach cylinder assembly 95 to be positioned at one side of the conventionally illustrated draw works I I8 from which the usual rotary table H9 is driven through chain I20. After the tongs have been applied to the pipe and the joint made up to the point at which the dies are brought into gripping engagement with the pipe forfinal take-up, compressed air is admitted to the reach cylinder 91 through pipe II5 to advance the piston 98 toward the left and swing the tongs I0 clockwise in a pipe tightening direction. In this manner, the pipe joint may be quickly and simply made-up as tightly as desired, although ordinarily it is preferable to place a predetermined limit upon the pull to be applied to the tongs. Such a limit may be placed by providing in line H5 a relief valve |2I set to maintain pro-determined maximum air pressure in cylinder 91, and thereby prevent the application of any excessive or destructive pull to the tongs by the reach. The advantages of this type of reach are readily apparent in that its construction and operation are of utmost simplicity, and all hazards ordinarily existing because of the use of various lines'and cables subject to breaking an entanglement with the operators, are entirely avoided.

I claim:

1. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, a pipe gripping element, a member carried .by and movable relative to the body to press said element into gripping engagement with the pipe, a support movable relative to said member, a rotating. member movable with said support and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, and means carried by the body for moving the first mentioned member and said support. 7 I

2. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, a pipe gripping element, a member carried by and movable relative to the body to press said element into gripping engagement with the pipe, a support movable relative to said member, a rotating member movable with said support and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe and means carried by the body for sequentially moving said rotatable member and gripping element into engagement with the pipe.

3. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, a pipe gripping element, a member carried by and movable relative to the body to press said element into gripping-engagement with the pipe, 8. support movable relative to said member, yielding means resisting relative movement of said member and support, a rotating member movable with said support and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe and means carried by the body for moving the first mentioned member and support.

4. Pipe tongs comprising a body including an elongated handle and a rigid portion of the body extending semi-circularly and forwardly from the handle to form a recess entered by the pipe through an opening at the side of the body, a plurality of pivotally connected pipe gripping elements within the handle side of said recess, means forming a pipe engaging surface within said recess and opposed to said gripping elements, power operated means carried by the body and movable against said elements to press the latter into gripping engagement with the pipe and confine the pipe between the gripping elements and said opposed surface, and means mounting said elements directly on the body for movement radially of said recess independently of said power operated means.

5. Pipe tongs comprising a body including an elongated handle and a rigid portionof the body extending semi-circularly and forwardly from the handle to form a recess entered by the pipe through an opening at the side of the body, a movable pipe gripping element within the handle side of said recess, means forming a pipe engaging surface within said recess and diametrically opposed to said gripping element, power operated mean carried by the body'and operatively connected with said element to move the latter into gripping engagement with the pipe and confine the pipe between the gripping element and said opposed surface, a rotatable member bodily movable by said power operated means and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, and means carried by the body for rotating said member.

6. Pipe tongs comprising a body including an elongated handle and a rigid portion of the body extending semi-circularly and forwardly from the handle to form a recess entered by the pipe through an opening at the side of the body, a movable pip'e gripping element within the handle side of said recess, means forming a pipe engaging surface within said recess and diametrically opposed to said gripping element, power operated means carried by the body, and operatively connected with said element to move the latter into gripping engagement with the pipe and confine the pipe between the gripping element and said opposed surface, a rotatable member mounted on said body and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, and means for sequentially bringing S id member and gripping element into operative engagement with the p p '7. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, an element within said opening operable to grip and cause the pipe to rotate by rotation of said'body therewith, a rotatable member mounted on the body and adaptedto en-' gaze and rotate the pipe within said body and inoperable to grip and cause the pipe to rotate by rotation of said body therewith, a rotatable member mounted on the body and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe within said body and independently of the operation of said element, means for yieldably pressing said member against the pipe, and a motor mounted on the body for rotatmg said member.

10. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe dependently of the operation of said element, and a motor mounted on the body for rotating saidreceiving opening, an element movable radially within said opening and operable to grip andcause the pipe to rotate by rotation of said body therewith, a power unit carried, by the body and operatively connected with said element to move the latter into gripping engagement with the pipe,

a rotatably driven member mounted on the body and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe within said body and independently of the operation of said element, and a motor mounted on the body for rotating said member.

11. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, an element movable radially within said opening and operable to grip and cause the pipe to rotate by rotation or. said body therewith, a power unit carried by the body and operatively connected with said element to move.

the latterinto gripping engagement with the pipe,

a rotatably driven member mounted on the body and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe within said body and independently or the operation of said element, mea'ns'for yieldably pressing said member-against the pipe, and a motor mounted on the body for rotating said member.

12. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, an element movable radially within said opening and operable to grip and cause the pipe to rotate by rotation of said'body therewith, a power unit carried by the body and operatively connected with said element to move the latter into gripping engagement with thepipe, a rotatably driven member mounted'on the body and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe within said body and independently oi the operation or said element, and means whereby said power unit operates to sequentially engage said rotatably driven member and gripping element with the pipe.

13. Pipe tongs-comprising a body having a pipe receiving opening, a pipe gripping element movable radially within said opening, a rotatably driven member mounted on the body for movementradially of said opening and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, and means for sequentially-moving said rotatable member and gripping element radially oi the pipe receiving opening into engagement with the pipe.

14. Pipe tongs comprising a body having a pipe receivingopening, a pipe gripping element movable radially within said opening, a rotatably driven member mounted on the body for movement radially of said opening and adapted to engage and rotate the pipe, said member having a substantially cylindric pipe engaging surface, and means for sequentially moving said rotatable member and gripping element radially oi the pipe 

